The General Commanding directs that in future all persons connected with this army who are detected in depredating upon the property of citizens shall be arrested and brought to trial; and he assures all concerned that crimes of such enormity will admit of no remission of the death penalty which the military law attaches to offenses of this nature..

When depredations are committed on property in charge of a guard, the commander, as well as the other members of the guard, will be held responsible for the same as principals and punished accordingly.

By command of Major-General McClellan:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Washington, October 5, 1861.

Brigadier-General LOCKWOOD,

Commanding &c., Cambridge, Md.:

GENERAL: I am directed by the General Commanding to reply to your letter of the 23rd as follows:

With regard to the employment of detectives, the General is unable to place any funds for their employment at present at your disposal. It would be very desirable to destroy any detachment of the enemy on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and the general hopes you may be able to effect that object, but he is not able to furnish you any troops of artillery or cavalry, nor can he supply, it is feared, field guns or artillery or cavalry equipments for any troops of those arms should you raise them. Whatever can be done in this connection, however, the General is disposed to do. For the dispersing of meetings for drill and other purposes hostile to the Government in localities accessible by water the General had directed General Dix to furnish you a steamer from Baltimore, if one can be spared.

With regard to the long-range arms for the Delaware troops, it has been found impossible to arm the troops of this army with the most desirable arms. Every effort has been made, however, to furnish the best that can possibly be obtained under the circumstances. With these the troops for the present must be content. You are authorized to remove your camp to wherever you may find it to the interests of the public service to fix it. General Van Vliet, chief quartermaster, has been ordered to furnish the transportation for the marches which you may find it necessary to make.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY,
Washington, October 6, 1861.

Brigadier-General ROSECRANS, U. S. A.,

Commanding Cross-Lanes, Western Virginia:

By Tuesday next [8th instant], at the latest, 3,000 men will leave Pittsburgh to join you by boats up the Kanawha to Gauley, or as high up as they can go. Your staff at Cincinnati is ordered through General Mitchell to forward them supplies. It is intended to send you six regiments in all as soon as possible.

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.